1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to agricultural planters, and more particularly to a planter having soil cleaning members that control the depth of soil above the seed.
2. Description of Related Art
Planters with a plurality of seed meters are used to plant seeds upon or in the ground at various depths and spacings. Typical planters use a furrow opener, such as a double-disc opener having a pair of downwardly and slightly forwardly converging discs, to create a furrow in the soil for receiving seeds dropped through a delivery tube. A pair of closing wheels attached at the rear of the planter closes the seed furrow after the seeds have been deposited therein. Some designs mount the closing wheels on a single shaft while other designs position the closing wheels in a staggered arrangement using with each wheel on a different shaft.
Uniform seeding emergence is desirable for successful crop establishment. This requires the seed to be placed a constant depth. Current planting machines are designed to place seed at a depth controlled by a depth gauging device such as gauge wheels running in contact with the soil surface. Gauge wheels provide support for the planter and set the depth of penetration of the furrow opener into the ground. The optimum seeding depth is usually based on crop type, seed size, seed vigor, soil temperature and soil moisture conditions.
However, planting seed at a constant depth across a field may result in seeds being placed in variable soil moisture and soil temperature conditions. The result can be uneven seed germination and emergence, and potentially crop failure. It would therefore be desirable to drop the seed at one depth while removing soil and crop residues above the seed to maintain a generally constant soil thickness over the seed.